The fifth edition of the QS Best Student Cities index has revealed that Montréal, Canada is the best city in the world to attend college.
For the first time since the annual list was created in 2012, Paris has been knocked off the top spot as Canada’s ‘cultural capital’ takes the plaudits.
Montréal’s rise to the top sets a general national pattern for Canada, with other Canadian cities also improving their positions this year. Vancouver (10), Toronto (11), Ottawa (26) and Quebec (72) have all prospered.
The study also has good news for the UK.
Due to the fall in the value of the pound, studying in a British city is now a more affordable prospect for international students. This change is reflected by the fact that London climbed two places to rank third, while Edinburgh is now 18th and Manchester joint 23rd.
Five other UK cities have also made the top 100- Glasgow (34), Coventry (39), Nottingham (43), Birmingham (55), Newcastle (57) – while other leading European destinations include Paris (2), Zurich (15), Vienna (16), Barcelona (23) and Dublin (31).
Similarly, German cities have also experienced a surge in popularity – Berlin climbs to sixth and Munich ninth – helped by the country’s policy of free education for all at undergraduate level.
Asia’s leading entrant, Seoul, surges six positions to fourth place, followed by Tokyo (7), Hong Kong (11) and Singapore (14).
This list was based on a recent survey of over 18,000 students and recent graduates from December 2016 to January 2017.
The QS Best Student Cities is defined by six categories: University Rankings, Student Mix, Employer Activity, Desirability, Affordability and Student View.
